Adjustable helmet with side protective members

Abstract

A protective helmet with a shell including movable first and second shell sections and an inner layer of protective material with a first layer section mounted on the first shell section and a second layer section mounted on the second shell section. Protective member(s) received within the shell each have a first end portion and an opposed second end portion. The protective member(s) may be side protective members. The first end portion extends between the first layer section and the first shell section. The second end portion extends between the second layer section and the second shell section. At least one of the first and second end portions of each protective member is displaceable relative to a corresponding one of the first and second layer sections upon the relative displacement of the shell sections.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A protective helmet, comprising:
 a shell including a first shell section and a second shell section, the shell defining an internal enclosure for receiving a head of a wearer and the first and second shell sections being displaceable relative to one another to adjust a size of the internal enclosure;
 an inner layer of protective material having a first layer section mounted internally on the first shell section and a second layer section mounted internally on the second shell section, the first and second layer sections being displaceable with the respective first and second shell sections; 
 a protective member received within the shell and having a first end portion and an opposed second end portion, the first end portion extending between the first layer section and the first shell section, the second end portion extending between the second layer section and the second shell section; and 
 a sliding connection defined between the first end portion of the protective member and the first layer section of the inner layer of protective material, the sliding connection including a recess and a protrusion received by the recess for sliding displacement relative to one another, the sliding connection providing relative displacement between the protective member and the inner layer of protective material; 
 wherein the recess has a closed perimeter defined in a plane, the closed perimeter enclosing an elongated slot that defines a path along which the protrusion slides from one end of the elongated slot to the other, the recess defined in one of the first end portion of the protective member and the first layer section of the inner layer of protective material; and 
 wherein the protrusion extends from the other of the first end portion of the protective member and the first layer section of the inner layer of protective material in a direction transverse to said plane, the protrusion being received within the elongated slot and slidingly displaceable therewithin along the path. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protective member is one of two side protective members each received with the shell along a respective side of the shell. 
     
     
       3. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the second end portion is displaceable relative to the second layer section. 
     
     
       4. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein a second sliding connection is defined between the second end portion and the second layer section. 
     
     
       5. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion forms part of the protective member and the recess is defined in the first layer section. 
     
     
       6. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is a first protrusion located on the first end portion and the recess is a first recess defined in the first layer section, the protective member further including a second protrusion located on the second end portion, the second protrusion being slidingly received in a second recess defined in the second layer section. 
     
     
       7. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the first shell section is a forward shell section, and the recess extends completely through the first layer section to define an elongated aperture. 
     
     
       8. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the recess extends into the first layer section along only part of the thickness thereof to define an elongated groove, the at least one wall of the recess defined by a groove wall disposed at a forward extremity of the groove to limit a sliding movement of the protrusion. 
     
     
       9. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protective member is unattached to the shell. 
     
     
       10. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the shell sections are displaceable relative to one another along a longitudinal direction of the helmet and the protective member is slidingly displaceable in the longitudinal direction relative to the shell. 
     
     
       11. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protective member includes a foam material. 
     
     
       12. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protective member includes an outer foam member circumscribing an inner foam member, the outer and inner foam members being made of different foam materials. 
     
     
       13. The helmet of  claim 12 , wherein the inner foam member comprises a rate sensitive foam. 
     
     
       14. The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion of the sliding connection extends from the first end portion of the protective member, and the recess of the sliding connection is defined within the first layer section of the inner layer of protective material. 
     
     
       15. A protective helmet, comprising: first and second helmet sections each including an outer shell section having an inner layer section of protective material mounted thereto, the first and second helmet sections being displaceable relative to one another to adjust a size of the helmet; and
 two opposed side protective members received inwardly of the outer shell sections on opposed sides of the helmet, each side protective member having a first end portion and an opposed second end portion, the first end portion being connected to the first helmet section by a first connection and the second end portion being connected to the second helmet section by a second connection; 
 wherein the first connection is a sliding connection including a recess and a protrusion received therein for sliding displacement relative to one another, 
 
       the sliding connection providing relative displacement between the side protective member and the inner layer of protective material, the recess defined in the inner layer section and having one or more walls forming an enclosed perimeter enclosing an elongated slot within which a path is defined from one end of the elongated slot to the other, the protrusion extending from the side protective member in a direction transverse to a plane within which the enclosed perimeter lies, the protrusion being received within the elongated slot and slidingly displaceable therewithin along the path. 
     
     
       16. The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein each side protective member includes rate sensitive foam. 
     
     
       17. The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the second connection is also a sliding connection allowing relative movement between the side protective member and the second helmet section. 
     
     
       18. The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the first end portion of each side protective member extends between the outer shell section and the inner layer section of the first helmet section, and the second end portion of each side protective member extends between the outer shell section and the inner layer section of the second helmet section. 
     
     
       19. The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion is disposed on the side protective member, and the recess is defined in the inner layer section of the first helmet section.